“H2Watt” tests possible applications from Borkum and Ameland
Advancing the topic of hydrogen as an energy resource of the future: The German-Dutch project “H2Watt” started last year with this goal. How hydrogen technologies can make the infrastructure of cities more efficient and environmentally friendly in the future will initially be examined in two test environments: On the Wadden Islands Borkum and Ameland.
For the project, under the leadership of MARIKO GmbH from Leer and the entrepreneurs’ association FME from Groningen, ten German and Dutch companies and institutions have come together to set up so-called “real laboratories” on the two islands, in which the technological possibilities in connection with hydrogen in to be tested in practice. It is also planned to create a cross-border network to optimize knowledge transfer in the field of hydrogen and to support companies in integrating the technologies.
The University of Applied Sciences Emden / Leer has taken over the scientific support for the project. “We are developing applications that are tailored to the local conditions on the islands,” explains Adenike Bettinger, who oversees the project from the Natural Science Department. On the one hand, the islands offer themselves as pilot environments due to their closed supply system. On the other hand, solar and wind power have been used on-site for years, so that it can be supplemented with another regenerative energy system, adds Prof. Dr Sven Steinigeweg, Vice President for Research and Knowledge Transfer. H2Watt is set to run for two years and has a volume of EUR 2.2 million.
The focus is initially on two pilot projects: On the island of Borkum, which wants to be emission-free by 2030, it is planned to convert the island railway to use hydrogen. The team at the university is in active contact with the Borkumer Kleinbahn and the Nordseeheilbad Borkum GmbH.
On the part of the Department of Maritime and Maritime Sciences, Prof. Kapt. Michael Vahs and his team are once again preparing the construction of a so-called water taxi for island traffic, which is equipped with a hydrogen-powered fuel cell. A platform for this has already been developed in the MariGreen project. Ameland plans to cover most of its energy needs from renewable energies in the future.
As the kick-off event for H2Watt planned for last week could not take place due to the corona crisis, the project participants will publish their current research work in the form of a “digital week” on the LinkedIn portal. The contributions can be seen from April 22 on the MARIKO LinkedIn profile at bit.ly/2XPBOGj .
The H2Watt project is co-financed as part of the INTERREG VA program Germany-Nederland with funds from the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRE), the State of Lower Saxony (Lower Saxony Ministry for Federal and European Affairs and Regional Development) and the provinces of Drenthe, Friesland and Groningen. It is accompanied by the INTERREG program management at the Ems Dollart Region (EDR).
Source: Emden / Leer University of Applied Sciences
Read the most up to date Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Industry news at FuelCellsWorks
